Cerrone Uses Wrestling to Even Score with Varner

That was the question posed by former WEC lightweight champion
Jamie
Varner to Donald
Cerrone after losing a unanimous decision in their gutsy
rematch Thursday night at WEC
51 at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colo.

Cerrone’s takedown defense has typically been criticized in the
past, but the Jackson’s Submission Fighting product looked like a
different fighter Thursday, stuffing all of Varner’s takedown
attempts and executing several takedowns of his own.

“As much as I hate wrestling, it dictates where fight’s going to
go, and I owe a lot to that,” said Cerrone. “I mainly drilled
wrestling [for this fight], and I felt good. Me taking him down and
him not taking me down felt great.”

Cerrone kept Varner on his toes, using a varied striking attack
interspersed with double-leg takedowns. He peppered the former
champion for three rounds and came close to finishing the contest
with a well-placed knee to Varner's jaw in round one.

The fight was a rematch of the pair's 2009 clash, in which Varner
earned a controversial split decision after being hit by an illegal
knee from Cerrone and not being able to continue midway through the
fifth round. Twenty months and three rounds later, Cerrone finally
got even. Leading up to the rematch, Cerrone made inflammatory
remarks about the former champion, even going so far as to wish
death upon Varner. He later apologized for his remarks, but the
“Cowboy” still isn't quite ready to bury the hatchet. After the
fight, the competitors touched gloves, but then looked like they
might continue fighting long after the third round had ended.

“As I fighter, I got nothing to take away from guy. But after the
fight he tried to hug me or something, and I was like, 'Get off
me.' As I person I think he’s got no backbone. I still don’t like
the guy,” said Cerrone.

After catching Varner with a big knee in the first frame, Cerrone
unleashed a flurry that caused Varner to lose his mouthpiece.

“[I was frustrated] when he spit out his mouthpiece for the seventh
fight in row. That's just how he is as a guy, and I'm glad everyone
got to see that,” said Cerrone.

Although he won the fight, Cerrone still sees areas in which he can
improve.

“He was hurt [in the first round], and I was having fun. I think
could have finished him, but I sort of backed off and admired my
work,” stated Cerrone. “I need to work on my mental game backstage.
I'm a wreck back there. All you people out there thinking it's
easy, [it's not]. [Fighting in front of an audience] is the hardest
thing to do.”

Both fighters took home a $10,000 “Fight of the Night” bonus for
their efforts.